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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23869369">happy anniversary-of-your-coming-online!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thirteenblackbirds/pseuds/thirteenblackbirds'>thirteenblackbirds</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NieR: Automata (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>2b doesn't understand human traditions, 9s and 6o are determined to fix that, Fluff, Gen, good luck to 6o and 9s, neither does 21o, operators and their agents, silly bunker fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:15:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>929</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23869369</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thirteenblackbirds/pseuds/thirteenblackbirds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>2B doesn't understand why this date has any significance.  9S and 6O are determined not to let that deter them.  21O isn't sure how she got dragged along for the ride.  Pure android fluff.  No spoilers.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>2B &amp; 21O (NieR: Automata), 2B &amp; 6O (NieR: Automata), 2B &amp; 9S (NieR: Automata), 6O &amp; 9S (NieR: Automata), 9S &amp; 21O (NieR: Automata)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>happy anniversary-of-your-coming-online!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written after I finished the game and was in serious need of some self-soothing.  Hence, very fluffy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"2B!"</p><p>2B is a killing machine, finely calibrated for combat and war.  She definitely does not jump at the sound of her name being loudly called (squealed part of her mind grumbles) in the middle of the otherwise silent Bunker halls.  There isn't even anywhere to hide, she thinks incongruously (because why would she need to hide).</p><p>"2B!"  Closer this time and then there's a blur of black and blonde as one very exuberant Operator pops up in front of her.</p>
<p></p><div>
  <p>2B blinks.  6O has 21O and 9S in tow, 21O looking irate and 9S looking equal parts amused and embarrassed.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"What's going on?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"9S told me that today's your birthday!" </p>
</div><div>
  <p>9S starts to look decidedly less amused and more alarmed at 6O's words.  Alarmed... and guilty.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>2B's eyes narrow behind her visor.  "My what?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Your birthday!"  6O doesn't speak in anything other than exclamations.  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Today's, uh, the anniversary of the date you first came online," 9S explains, his voice trailing off slightly at 2B's sharp glance.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>2B forgoes asking him how he knows that information - it's not classified, after all, and easily searchable in the database.  "I fail to see the significance of this."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>21O tugs her arm out of 6O's grip, ignoring the other Operator's pout at the action.  "Humans traditionally celebrated the anniversary of one another's births, hence 'birthday', although the term is imperfectly applied to this occasion."  She brushes her bangs to the side and fixes 6O and her charge with an exasperated look.  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's not that different," 9S starts to reason.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's close enough!" 6O chirps.  "The point is," she continues, as though 2B and 21O are the ones off on a wild tangent, "it's your birthday, 2B, and we should celebrate!"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>2B looks from her Operator to 21O and finally to 9S, who is wearing a cautiously hopeful smile and whose eyes are so close to full-blown happy that 2B can almost feel weakness caving in her chest.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>".... fine," she concedes and has to blink rapidly as 9S' smile startles out of caution and into the brilliance of unadulterated delight.  "So, what's the protocol?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Oh, I'm so glad, 2B!  You'll be glad too, I promise!"  6O claps her hands together and grabs 2B's hand.  "Come on, this way!"  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>As she's dragged past 21O, the more reserved Operator gives her a wry smile, falling into step behind them.  "6O wanted to throw you a surprise party initially but 9S convinced her that may not be the best idea."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>2B tilts her head toward the scanner walking beside 6O, seemingly running through the words to a song with her.  Subconsciously, her face softens.  "Yeah," she replies with something of a laugh in her voice.  "That would have been received poorly."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Possibly with a trip to the repair facility, you mean?"  21O's voice reflects the same amusement.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Before 2B can confirm or deny that hypothesis, they come to a halt at 6O's door, which slides open to reveal her room decorated with what appears to be strings of colored cloth and floating pod units apparently commandeered to carry round rubber balls of various colors.  In the harsh lighting of the Bunker, it all looks rather odd.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Ta-da~!  Ready...?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>All at once, the pods, 6O, 9S and even 21O say in unison, "Happy birthday, 2B!"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"... thank you," she replies, unsure what else to do.  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>9S materializes at her side and takes her elbow gently, guiding her to 6O's desk where a wedge of .... something pink and white sat with a short stick in it, on which sat a small glowing bulb.  "What's this?" 2B asks, more confused than she's ever been on the surface slicing her way through machine lifeforms by the dozen.  That, she knows how to do.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"It's a cake!" 9S explains.  "Well, sort of.  We don't need to eat, so it was pretty much impossible to find the thing humans called cake.  But it was essential to their birthday celebrations!  So we compromised.  I found one of the machines in the amusement park selling this - apparently it's a plastic model of what cake looked like.  It even had a candle built in."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"And now we have to sing!"  6O is practically vibrating with excitement.  2B is still bewildered.  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>9S grins.  "That's right, that's the next part."  He turns to one of the pods, which turns out to be 153 upon closer inspection.  "Pod, can you play the file I uploaded to you yesterday?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Affirmative.  Commencing playback."  Music trickles out of the pod's speakers and, as one, the three androids begin to sing - 6O with the most enthusiasm, 21O, the softest but clearly audible, and 9S with perfect pitch, sweet and happy.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear 2B.  Happy birthday to you!"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"End of playback."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Thanks, pod!"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Er."  2B can hear her processors whirring in confusion and expects that, in the sudden quiet, everyone else can too.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Oh, 2B, what do you think?  Did you like it?"</p>
</div><div>
  <p>"Yeah, was that ok?  I know that this must have seemed strange to you..." 9S' voice and expression are tinged with anxiousness.  </p>
</div><div>
  <p>2B still doesn't understand the significance of the date of her initial activation, but she does understand that the Operators, 9S and even the pods have gone to no small amount of trouble to mark the date as significant and she feels a warmth in her chest as she looks at their faces.  "Yes," she says.  Yes, I liked it.  Yes, it was ok.  "Thank you."</p>
</div><div>
  <p>And she returns their smiles with a small but true one of her own.</p>
</div>
  </div></div>
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